UTM researchers tap immersive technologies to enhance quality of palliative care

UTM researchers are turning to the virtual world in an effort to improve the quality of life for those in palliative care.

Cosmin Munteanu, assistant professor with UTM’s Institute for Communication, Culture, Information, and Technology, and PhD student Sho Conte are exploring how virtual reality (VR) devices can be used to enhance patient experiences.

The impetus for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research-funded study came from Conte’s experiences as a volunteer at a Toronto hospice. During some of his pre-pandemic visits, Conte took along some VR kits (VR is one of his personal hobbies) to entertain clients. He found himself using Google Earth to explore places they wanted to go or revisit.

“The reception was incredible, super emotional and super effective,” he recalls, explaining clients in palliative care have limited mobility and don’t get out much or have many opportunities to enjoy new experiences.

That lack of social participation has been exacerbated by the recent pandemic. Conte notes he hasn’t been able to see his client since March due to COVID-19.

“It’s a bit upsetting to me, just thinking about that, if I was in that situation,” he says.

VR may be a way to break through the social isolation, whether caused by the pandemic or the nature of palliative care, and open opportunities to facilitate social participation.

“I see VR as a window into these virtual experiences that are immersive and very lived. It’s not as good as the real thing, but in light of their mobility challenges, it works really well,” Conte says.

It may also be a tool that helps provide a more holistic approach to end of life care.

“We have a very good palliative care system in Canada,” explains Munteanu, noting it’s “very good on medical side.”

“It’s the soft side that’s often neglected.”

VR has the potential to allow patients to participate in experiences they may not otherwise be able to partake in because they are restricted to a palliative care hospital. They could embark on virtual trips, have shared virtual travels with family members, reminisce about the past and share stories while looking at Street View on Google Maps. VR could give them a means to have an immersive experience, augment personal connections or even escape the confines of the hospice and meet others in a virtual setting.

The current pandemic has put a temporary hold on exploring ways to put VR in the hands of palliative care patients because it’s not currently safe to work with such a vulnerable group. Still committed to improving quality of life at end of life, Conte has pivoted his research to focus on helping clinicians have difficult planning discussions with patients.

Studies show that 90 per cent of people want to have conversations about planning their care if things go badly, but only about 10 per cent have those conversations, Conte says. “Having conversations and planning before it’s too late is one of the biggest predictors of quality at end of life.”

He’s now turning to VR to help practitioners prepare for these emotionally charged discussions that happen too infrequently. Using a 3D chatbot that provides rich, simulated responses based on the serious illness conversation guide, medical students will record themselves having a conversation about advanced care planning. They will then review the conversation through VR, where they can see it from the other person’s perspective, giving them a tool for critical self-reflection, learning and training. The goal is to help caregivers gain the confidence to talk about sensitive issues.

Munteanu explains the immersive technology could be used to develop more empathetic and more attentive listening skills that help improve the social and personal aspects of palliative care.

“It’s not that people aren’t doing all they can,” he says. “There are so many more opportunities to make it even better.”

Meanwhile, Munteanu’s Technologies for Aging Gracefully lab is also part of a three-year international research and development project that has received 1.5 million Euros from the EU’s Assisted Augmented Living to improve the quality of life of care recipients at the end of life, their family caregivers and professional care providers with the use of emerging technologies.

These studies are putting the UTM’s TAG lab at the forefront of innovation.

“There’s a lot of good research on medical side,” Munteanu says, adding  that it’s time for everything else to catch up.